Tuesday, June 30, 2015

McFarlane Toys schooled a lot of skeptics who gave the side eye to their Walking Dead Construction Sets. Now, they are about to give us the toy line we never knew we were longing for, deep down in our heart of hearts...and when you hear details, your need will be mighty.

Due out just in time for the holiday season (WINTER IS COMING!!!), the McFarlane Game of Thrones Construction Sets will launch with building sets and single blind packs, just like The Walking Dead, no doubt available at Toys R Us and online locations. They'll kick things off with a Banner Pack Assortment featuring the Lannisters and the Starks (naturally!), a Throne Room Set (of course), and blind packed figures (bet you cash money Ned's head comes off)...

Stop by the Entertainment Earth booth #2343 at San Diego Comic-Con to meet Sam J. Jones, known for his role as Flash Gordon, and Melody Anderson, who portrayed Dale Arden in the popular cult classic movie Flash Gordon. Sam J. Jones is scheduled to appear on Sunday, July 12, 2015, from 10am to 11:30am and Melody Anderson is scheduled to join him on Sunday, July 12, 2015 from noon to 1:30pm. Sam J. Jones is also well known for his role in Ted and Ted 2.

Monday, June 29, 2015

MTV will take San Diego Comic-Con by storm with the return of Comic-Con favorite and hit drama series “Teen Wolf” for the sixth time and convention debuts of highly-anticipated shows “Scream: The TV Series” and “The Shannara Chronicles.”

For the first time in network history, MTV will be on-the-ground with its own branded booth, giving fans an all-new interactive experience when they hit the floor of the San Diego Convention Center. Fans will be treated to exclusive swag and the opportunity to meet and get autographs from a slew of MTV talent set to stop by.

It's always jarring when companies take a beloved cartoon series in a totally new direction, art wise. While we don't expect these shows to look the same forever...DON'T THEY KNOW GEEKS FEAR CHANGE???!! No, fear is not the word. We loathe it. The last time Scooby Doo got a reboot, we approached with cautious optimism, quickly embracing artwork that really nodded to the original show while making things more contemporary. I think the new show's creators are going to have a harder go of it this time around, with art that makes the characters look like they are visiting the Phineas & Ferbiverse. I expect all my friends will freak over the coming of Bunnicula...and that Wabbit art teaser reeks of Ren and Stimpy...which could potentially be MIND BLOWING...so let's take a closer look...

Saturday, June 27, 2015

No doubt, this was the year of BIGGER IS BETTER. Gentle Giant added super sized figures from Marvel, DC and G.I.Joe to play with their vintage styled Star Wars lineup. Mattel continued their Masters of the Universe giants. Now Playmates adds to their massive mutant army with an 11 inch Metal Mutant Leonardo figure from teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, available at San Diego Comic-Con this year via the Nickelodeon booth!

Nickelodeon will be releasing an exclusive Comic-Con Teenage Mutant Ninja figure by Master Toy Licensee Playmates Toys. The TMNT 11” Metal Mutants Leonardo figure will be available in a limited production run, available only at the Nickelodeon Comic Con booth.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Thing like this start out innocently enough. My mom suggests we go pick up my nephew and take him to lunch. Fantastic. Then comes the nightmarish phrase "Wouldn't it be fun..." which was followed by the suggestion of digging into Pizza Hutt's new Hot Dog Bites Crust Pizza. "What do you think?" "Well''..." I replied, "I think it might kill me and I will be very sad I attempted it later tonight...alone..someplace not so brightly lit where I can hang my head in shame and let the memory...pass through me, as it were." GREAT! So it's a plan. And off we went.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Building on its tradition of offering an unbeatable assortment of toys for collectors of all ages, Toys“R”Us today revealed its lineup of exclusive figures and playthings that will be available at the highly anticipated Comic Convention in San Diego next month. Conventioneers and online shoppers will find must-have merchandise based on several fan-favorite entertainment brands, including BATMAN™, MY LITTLE PONY, POWER RANGERS™, Star Wars™, TRANSFORMERS and more at the Entertainment Earth booth (#2343) and online at Toysrus.com/ComicConvention from Thursday, July 9 through Sunday, July 12.*

In conjunction with Comic Convention, Toys“R”Us has introduced a new shop titled, “Collector Vector,” dedicated to collectible action figures, playsets and more for the mature collector community, available now in its stores nationwide and Toysrus.com. This specially designated destination features nearly 100 highly sought-after collectibles from industry leading manufacturers, including Bandai, Diamond Select™, Mezco Toyz, McFarlane Toys and NECA, among others, as well as items based on hit properties, such as BATMAN™, Godzilla, Sons of Anarchy, Predator, The Walking Dead and more. The company’s new digital “Collector Vector” hub, available online at Toysrus.com, features hundreds of additional product options, including items customers can’t find anywhere else.

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces its return to San Diego, CA for the 2015 Comic-Con International with an impressive roster of manga creator personal appearances, informative panel discussions, interactive activities, promotional giveaways, and a wide selection of special retail products available exclusively at the event.

Attracting more than 125,000 attendees annually, Comic-Con International is one of the nation’s largest comic book, science fiction and pop culture events, and takes place July 9th-12th at the San Diego Convention Center, in San Diego, CA. Complete details on Comic-Con are available at: www.comic-con.org.

Anchor Bay Entertainment, a leader in home entertainment, is celebrating its 20th anniversary! Stop by Booth 4536 to take pictures with a customized walker from AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and the skull helmet from Northmen – A Viking Saga.

Attendees will have a chance to win a limited edition “The Walking Dead” guitar from Artist Series Guitar. Additional swag giveaway items that will be available to con-goers include:

Rooster Teeth, the creative production studio behind the upcoming live-action feature film Lazer Team, and hit web series Red vs. Blue, RWBY, and X-Ray and Vav, will be at San Diego Comic-Con for a panel and appearances.

Every year, video game companies release hundreds of trailers for their upcoming video games, and we've watched pretty much all of them! We've already talked about some of the coolest trailers and games, but we'd still like to share with you the best of the rest.

The Last Guardian is a PlayStation 4 exclusive from the same people who made the much loved games Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. It mightn't look much different now to how it did when it was slated for PS3, but it still looks as original and touching as ever.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Now a mainstay at San Diego Comic-Con International, Shout! Factory returns to the convention in 2015 with a dynamic line-up sure to delight pop culture enthusiasts of all ages. Shout! Factory is a leading multi-platform entertainment company, and its Comic-Con offerings, which span its popular Shout! Factory, Shout! Kids and Scream Factory™ brands, are sure to please devoted fans of popular home entertainment properties, collectors and pop culture enthusiasts alike. This year, Shout! Factory unveils an exciting panel event, new home entertainment products, Comic-Con exclusives and engaging booth activities. Fans and attendees are invited to join in on the excitement at the Shout! Factory booth (#4118) on the main convention floor.

Monday, June 22, 2015

To celebrate the home entertainment release of the X-Men: Days of Future Past Rogue Cut Blu-ray on July 14th, fans and VIP guests will be treated to an advance screening of the never-before-seen extended version of the film, including more action, more excitement…and more Rogue!

With nearly 90 minutes of all-new, immersive special features, the X-Men: Days of Future Past Rogue Cut takes you deeper into the X-Men universe than ever before. Rogue makes her return as the all-star characters from the original X-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves and unite to battle armies of murderous Sentinel robots who are hunting down mutants and humans alike!

We are EYEBALL DEEP in convention season right now (which doesn't end til November this year!) with Anime fans going berserk, indie movie fans making flight plans for their favorite film fests (FANTASIA!!) and the all important comic con popping up in the backyard of every town across the US and beyond (what up, Dubai!) This past weekend, giant fucking robot aficionados gathered at Botcon to civilly discuss, at length and with pie charts and graphs to back up their points, who would win in a fight...Soundwave or Soundblaster. Of course, a robot loving intellectual needs a break from such heated discourse, and so Hasbro thought it might be fun to roll out lots of new info and information on upcoming Transformer toys they thought you might like to buy...if the mood strikes you.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today revealed the launch trailer for Batman: Arkham Knight. With the highly anticipated game launching tomorrow, June 23, the trailer highlights what it takes to Be The Batman and features the recently released track “Mercy” from Muse’s seventh studio album, Drones, which debuted at Number One on the Billboard Top 200 Chart last week.

Adult Swim is back at San Diego Comic-Con, as if you ever had any doubts! This year, Adult Swim will once again engage fans over the course of four epic days with unique fan experiences, as well as celebrity filled signings and panels featuring series stars, creators and producers from popular network shows Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Forever, Childrens Hospital, Mike Tyson Mysteries, Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell, and Rick and Morty. Adult Swim stars and creators on hand include Mike Tyson, Seth Green, Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland, Dave Willis, Rob Corddry, Rob Huebel, Breckin Meyer, Casper Kelly, and many more.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

San Diego Comic-Con 2015 is only a month away now, so we'll be neck deep in this year's exclusives this week. LEGO always has crowds swarming around their booth for rare, valuable mini figures any lucky attendee could randomly win, killer displays of new toys, giant builds and mega hot exclusives that sell out so quickly you'd think you need to know a secret handshake to get them! This year will be no different, with Star Wars and Marvel Comics as their main focus. Let's check out what exclusive items will be on tap...

Saturday, June 20, 2015

There is always plenty of talk about Cartoon Network's oddball Adult Swim lineup, regardless if the shows are live action or animated...and whatever the hell "The Room" is. Avid cartooniphiles will tell you Nickelodeon still have plenty to offer in their post Nicktoons era that don't include green teens with ninja skills (though that show is consistently AMAZING). The last random Nick show I got hooked on was called "The Mighty B!", centered around a hyperactive young underdog who kicks ass at any cost. It was brilliant! Now comes the bastard child of "Ren and Stimpy" and those mind melting 1930's black and white cartoons. Prepare your body for PIG GOAT BANANA CRICKET!

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Everyone looks to E3 to see the latest and greatest big
budget games, but more and more we’re starting to see lower budget games from
smaller teams making a splash at the show. EA’s press conference talked about
Star Wars at length. They talked about Madden and FIFA. They showed the
beautiful Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. While these games were being talked about,
and in the case of Star Wars Battlefront, it seemed like everyone was talking
about it, there was one other game that stood out from others. That game is “Unravel”.

They went and did it. I would say "IS NOTHING SACRED" but nope..nothing is..and thank God for that. These porn parodies are so ridiculous they often border on genius. The level of detail in the character designs...actors sticking to their character while they...umm..you know... ~makes thrusting motion with his fist~. WoodRocket, those menaces to society that brought you the Guardians of the Galaxy and Bob's Burger porn spoofs takes a poke at Pokemon....and the Pikachu actress alone is enough to give you nightmares....or turn you on...I don't judge. #nightmarefuel

From the studio that brought you the hit adult cinema spoofs of Game of Thrones, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Bob's Burgers, comes a porn parody where everybody gets Pokéd in the end: Strokémon – The XXX Parody!

While LEGO Dimensions is only the latest entry into the
games and toys genre that started with Activision’s Skylanders and has been
embraced by Disney with the Disney Infinity games, and with Nintendo’s amiibo
toys which work with a wide variety of games, LEGO Dimensions certainly looks
to be taking the genre in a fresh direction.

Every year, I try my very best to let people know when Free Comic Book Day is coming, encouraging all to grab their kids, friends and strangers who have nothing better to do and head to the nearest participating comic shops to see what guests have shown up to celebrate, what killer sales the store has going on, and most importantly, GRAB FREE COMICS!!! No lie, for those who wake up nice and early and lineup under the burning ball of fire, a fat stack of books await you. Latecomers are left with the scraps, if even that is still available.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

A couple of years back, Oculus VR made massive waves at E3
with a very early prototype of their VR headset, and while they still haven’t
launched just yet, the success of their prototype VR headsets have inspired a
lot of excitement and a lot of other companies to get involved in virtual
reality in a big way. This year there are at least five different VR headsets
on show at E3, and that’s not including Microsoft’s own augmented reality
concept, the Holo-Lens.

What would E3 be without the pre-show press conferences?
Every year, gamers look forwards to the press events from Microsoft, Sony and
Nintendo to see the latest announcements, and hope that their favorite
system will ‘win’ E3 with some huge news. In many ways it’s
the World Series for the video game fanboy.

There are some days you wish you had kids as an excuse to head to Toys R Us and buy some of the stuff that's REAAAAALLY for lil kids...and some days, you say fuck it, because you love toys and you're a grown ass adult that can now do whatever the hell you want. Go buy a whole cake for a friend's birthday and the two of you attempt to eat it? DONE IT. Wear no pants for 3 days straight? DONE IT. As adults, the world is ours...and so are all the toys. Mattel is one company that knows the toy business, and their Fisher Price Imaginext offerings KILL IT at every turn, often surpassing their "adult" collector offerings in fun and awesome. It always makes collector's sad when they no longer see playsets in the retail isles, but 5 isles over, playsets still rule. The question is, is this yet another instance where we just admit we give no fucks, or can these kidified playsets coexist with our adult playthings? Let's find out...

Not knowing much about the insane world of video games means very little when your entire feed on both Twitter and Facebook goes BERSERK with women absolutely losing their damn minds and men declaring their bodies...were just not ready. Die hard fans have been waiting nearly a decade for a remake of Final Fantasy 7 and now, in the middle of the biggest video game conference on the planet, THEIR TIME HAS COME!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

While the announcement of the heavily rumored Fallout 4
wasn’t a huge surprise, that isn’t to say that the announcement of the game
didn’t bring with it some big surprises. While many had correctly guessed that
the game would be set in Boston, what hadn’t really been rumored was that for
the first time we would get to play in the pre nuclear war era even if only for
a short while.

Fallout 4 pits the player as the sole survivor of Vault 111,
one of the many nuclear bunkers built by Vault-tec that the lucky few were able
to use to survive nuclear Armageddon at some point in the fifties.

FUNimation Entertainment announced today that the world premiere of the English dub of “Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’” will be held on Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. at the Regal LA LIVE Stadium 14 in Los Angeles, Calif. The premiere coincides with opening night of Anime Expo 2015 — the largest anime and manga convention in North America. FUNimation recently completed principal production of the English dub for the movie which was written by series creator Akira Toriyama and directed by Naoyoshi Yamamuro.

Monday, June 15, 2015

If there was ever a show that looked insanely perfect in Funko Mystery Mini form, this is it. ...Hell, if there was ever a toy that would look perfect IN a show that occasionally self references the show in hilarious Meta moments, THIS IS IT! Funko hits one out of the park with a whole line of blind-boxed Supernatural heroes and baddies, coming to your ample shelf space and ready to distract your daily works this July! Cue up "Carry on My Wayward Son", steal some salt packets to make adorable little protection circles and most importantly, warm up your credit card...

Walt Disney Animation Studios today announced its most exciting presence at D23 EXPO yet. The event, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, will take place August 14–16 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

CALENDAR OF KEY PRESENTATIONS/ PANELS/ EVENTS:

Every Story Is a Journey: The Upcoming Films of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation StudiosFriday, August 14, 3:00 pm - Hall D23
After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to “let it go,” come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 EXPO must-see, host John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, presents “Every Story is a Journey.” Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent. Cell phones, cameras and all recording devices will be checked for this presentation.

Herman Munster. King of his domain. Master of his castle. Unforgettable giant shlump of a man with a frightening array of talents, half of which explode on all those around him at any given time. He is also the most lovable dork ever to grace the TV screen, and the first thing I think of when my thoughts turn to Halloween. These days we can boast quite a few oddball TV shows ripping across your DVR weekly with ghosts and demons and werewolves on the menu, but in the 1960's, with a squeaky clean society slowly turning towards the concepts of free love, it's amazing shows like The Munsters, The Addams Family and Bewitched captured the imaginations of millions. Today, we celebrate the first family of spooky and the man at the head of that family...whose head probably belonged to someone else.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

July 1st sees the return of the Humans vs Skynet war to the big screen and with it, a whole new set of rules for the Terminator movie mythos. With James Cameron vowing that THIS is the REAL Terminator 3 (really..for real this time....forget 4 happened at all) and Arnold Schwarzenegger promising awesome times for all, it's up to us to admit the sorry truth. We were always going to see this movie. We may not be psyched..or shivering with antici....pation....but we will watch the damn thing... because we must. Paramount's newest featurette gives the faintest glimpse into the deep relationship between Sarah and her Terminator father-figure. Resistance is futile.

Worldwide video game publisher, Little Orbit, announced the blockbuster lineup of video games it will showcase at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Little Orbit will have on hand some of today's most fun and successful franchises including Adventure Time, Kung Fu Panda, Monster High, and Barbie. Playable titles will be on hand to demo in Meeting Room 307 in the South Hall.

Young teenage inklings compete in a series of fun paintball-esque
online competitions. Shooting coloured ink with various weapons, they can then
use their ability to turn into a squid form and swim quickly through this ink.
Meanwhile, in the plaza, a mysterious old Cuttlefish encourages you to join him
in his battle against the Octarians to recover the stolen Zapfish which power
Inkopolis.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Shao Kahn is dead, long live KOTAL KAHN! The tecpatl-wielding aztec warrior has overtaken the Outworld and will soon overtake your shelf space.

“The new characters in Mortal Kombat X are equal parts awesome and gruesome...” said Jerry Macaluso, President of Pop Culture Shock, “..and Kotal Kahn is no exception. When I first saw his concept art I knew we had to make him as a statue.”

While all three versions feature the “Be Mine” Fatality, Sun God features yellow tattoos and will be available at finer retailers and distributors. Blood God features an interchangeable Tecpatl weapon as well as red tattoo deco and War God features teal tattoos and an interchangeable Macuahuitl weapon. The War God and Blood God will be available via the PCS website.

Diamond Comic Distributors is offering over 20 limited PREVIEWS exclusives for this year’s Comic-Con International: San Diego (July 8-12), including custom comics and collectibles. Comic-Con attendees will be able to preview the items at the Diamond PREVIEWS booth #2401 and purchase from retailer booths on the show floor.

The exclusives include a collection of special edition comics, toys, and collectibles from top publishers and vendors including Marvel, DC Collectibles, Diamond Select Toys, IDW, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite, Oni Press, Funko, Medicom Toy, and the Wonderland Toy Company. The comics feature variant covers made specifically for San Diego in addition to exclusive toys and collectibles that comic and pop-culture fans will rave over. Each exclusive has a limited print and/ or production, making these items highly sought after by retailers and consumers during the convention and outside the event as well.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Bernthal will portray The Punisher, one of Marvel’s most popular characters. He is a vigilante who aims to clean up New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen by any means necessary, no matter how lethal the results.

A bizarre murder brings together three law-enforcement officers and a career criminal, each of whom must navigate a web of conspiracy and betrayal in the scorched landscapes of California when TRUE DETECTIVE returns for its eight-episode second season SUNDAY, JUNE 21 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), followed by other episodes debuting subsequent Sundays at the same time, exclusively on HBO.

Colin Farrell (Golden Globe winner for “In Bruges”) plays Ray Velcoro, a troubled detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him. Vince Vaughn (“Wedding Crashers”) portrays Frank Semyon, a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner. Rachel McAdams (“Midnight in Paris”) plays Ani Bezzerides, a sheriff’s detective whose uncompromising ethics put her at odds with others and the system she serves. Taylor Kitsch (HBO’s “The Normal Heart”) portrays Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and a highway patrol motorcycle officer, running from a difficult past and the sudden glare of a scandal that never happened.

With an average of 9.6 million viewers per week, Gotham has captured and held the attention of audiences since the premiere episode which delivered FOX’s highest-rated fall drama debut in 14 years with Adults 18–49. Before the series returns to FOX for a second season this fall, fans can now enjoy all 22 episodes – plus nearly 2 hours of extras including new featurettes, unaired scenes and a gag reel – when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases Gotham: The Complete First Season on September 8, 2015. This season’s #2 broadcast drama among men 18-34 will be available on Blu-rayTM and DVD for $60.10/$59.98 SRP.

Before there was Batman, there was Gotham City. Everyone knows the name of Commissioner Gordon, but what of his rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner? What did it take to navigate the layers of corruption in Gotham City, the spawning ground of the world’s most iconic villains? Gotham tells the story of the world’s most iconic DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes from the very beginning, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. From executive producer Bruno Heller (The Mentalist, Rome), this crime drama follows GCPD Detective James Gordon’s rise through a dangerously corrupt city, while also chronicling the genesis of one of the most popular DC Comics Super Heroes of our time. Although the crime drama follows Gordon’s turbulent and singular career, it also focuses on his unlikely friendship with the young Bruce Wayne – with his mentorship a crucial element in developing the mythology of Gotham City.

KDD AUTHORS AT SDCC 2015
Jason Blum is an Emmy Award-winning producer who has ushered in a new dawn of horror with franchises like Paranormal Activity, The Purge, Insidious, and Sinister. Now he presents THE BLUMHOUSE BOOK OF NIGHTMARES: THE HAUNTED CITY (Doubleday, 7/7/2015) a stunning collection of original, terrifying fiction from a unique cast of 16 master storytellers including Eli Roth, Ethan Hawke, James DeMonaco, Mark Neveldine, Dana Stevens, Jeremy Slater, Scott Derrickson, and C. Robert Cargill. These provocative stories create the unforgettable cityscape for a new world of horror.

Kevin Keating has received starred reviews for THE CAPTIVE CONDITION (Pantheon Books, 7/7/2015), including this from Library Journal “A weird and wonderfully rendered universe . . . . A highly literary look at the faces of evil in almost all of its guises . . . . Oh, and many characters here are constantly high on psychedelic carrot juice.” Emulating a modern day Edgar Allan Poe, coupled with the creepy brilliance of HBO’s True Detective, THE CAPTIVE CONDITION is at once chilling, deliciously dark, and quirkily hilarious. As a boilermaker turned author, Kevin has a fascinating and unique take on thriller writing. Kevin appears on the Horror/Thriller panel on Thursday, July 9 at 4 pm (Room 25ABC).

Artists get their inspiration from many sources...film, art, a single moment in time...and sometimes, a piece of music. Ever since the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, I've had one song blaring in my head and while the few lines I recalled spoke to characters from the film in a round about way, it wasn't until I looked up the lyrics that I could see the very clear similarities. Let's break down the song alongside the movie and see just how close a resemblance there is....

Monday, June 8, 2015

by Melissa AdamoIn Broad City, Abbi and Ilana, two single gals in NYC, work part time jobs and spend most of their time together, smoking weed and shopping in Bed, Bath and Beyond. When they are not with each other, they are FaceTiming one another—sharing meals or bongs and even having sex while talking to the other on the computer screen. Their relationship is constant; it has no boundaries. And it is a love story that I can identify with more than any other on TV.
Broad City is often compared to Girls since both half hour shows feature twenty-something women living in New York, yet Broad City centers around a true friendship as opposed to separate characters who don’t really like each other. The only other sitcom I know that includes a strong female relationship like this is Parks and Recreation. (Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins forever!)

Rovio, makers of Angry Birds, the most downloaded mobile game ever, today announced a partnership with The LEGO Group to develop a line of construction toys. LEGO® Angry Birds will be available in spring 2016 to coincide with the release of The Angry Birds Movie, a full-length feature film based on the popular gaming franchise.

“The LEGO brand has an unparalleled ability to connect with people through products that spark creativity and imagination. We’re really excited to build experiences together with this amazing best-in-class partner,” said Pekka Rantala, Chief Executive Officer of Rovio.

Friday, June 5, 2015

The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Subway Cinema announce the lineup today for the 2015 New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), which will take place from June 26 to July 8 at the Film Society and July 9 to 11 at SVA Theatre (333 W. 23rd Street). The Closing Night selection will be announced at a later date. North America’s leading festival of popular Asian cinema will showcase 52 feature films, including 1 World Premiere, 3 International Premieres, 13 North American Premieres, 5 U.S. Premieres, and 14 films making their New York City debuts. The festival will be attended by 18 international filmmakers and celebrity guests traveling from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Oh Man. The Thunderbolts set? I could wait..and I waited..and I traded for it and I'm happy. The Thanos set? Prices are still a bit crazy, so I'll wait it out. There's nothing i'm DYING to have in there, but the completest in me still begs for it...and it's pricey..so I wait. Now...this...demonic...thing. Oh man, I was never a huge Doctor Strange fan, or an avid reader of his comics...but the wanting.....it's real. It's a pain that will linger. If there was ever a time for Hasbro to call TRUCE on me and show their love by sending over their SDCC exclusives, NOW IS THAT TIME. Can't we all just love each other?

Horror conventions got you feeling like you pay to enter, then pay for autographs, then pay, pay pay? Comic Cons are not much different, with 300 of them popping up across the planet year round. Isn't there a place strange people can get together for drinks, watch awesome performers and musicians, dress like creepy maniacs and be assured the youngest person around to be offended by their horrible jokes is merely 16?? NOW THERE IS. Voltaire's Necrocomicon returns to Piscataway, New Jersey this September, promising to deliver the 3 day Halloween party you're not going to find around Halloween.

Skylanders® is bringing another trailblazing innovation to the #1 kids console franchise(1) with the launch of Skylanders® SuperChargers on September 20, 2015 in North America. Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) and the leaders of the toys-to-life category it created, expands upon the franchise's signature gameplay to introduce vehicles-to-life -- an entirely new way for fans to experience the magic of Skylands.

At the helm of powerful, tricked-out land, sea and sky vehicles, Portal Masters can engage in a high-octane action-adventure videogame like never before. Kids can speed across Skylands' roads in vehicular combat, race down roaring rapids and engage in aerial dogfights as they barrel-roll through enemy swarms for the first time. Developed by Vicarious Visions, Skylanders SuperChargers offers a rich story-driven gameplay experience, filled with vehicle-based and on-foot adventures, combat, puzzles, mini games, activities and platforming, set within a variety of all-new compelling environments.

"Tangled," an animated series for kids, tween and families, based on Walt Disney Animation Studios' acclaimed feature film, has begun production with Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi reprising their roles as Rapunzel and Eugene (also known as Flynn Rider). The series will premiere in 2017 on Disney Channels around the world. It was announced today by Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide. It will also reunite Disney Legend and Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater.

Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was developed by animation veterans Chris Sonnenburg (Disney's "Enchanted") and Shane Prigmore ("The Lego Movie").

Marsh said, "The genius of the original movie was its seamless blending of cinematic adventure, character-driven comedy and touching emotion. And we are fortunate to have several of the creative talent from that movie on board with this new production. With the addition of Chris and Shane as Executive Producers, we have the perfect team in place to create a series worthy of the original film."

The name Clayburn Moore is well-known in toy and statue collector circles, and rightfully so. As a sculptor, his mastery of the human form is evident in every piece he creates, and as the founder of his own company, he oversaw the release of numerous toys and statues beloved by collectors. After a long freelance relationship with Mr. Moore, Diamond Select Toys is proud to announce that they will retain his tremendous talent on a full-time basis, as Moore takes lead sculpting duties on several new statue lines for the company, as well as Art Director duties on other lines.

Moore’s deft hands will relaunch Diamond Select’s Premier Collection 12” resin statue line, beginning with his sculpts of Batgirl and Catwoman from the Batman Classic TV Series. Moore will also revive the Marvel Premier Collection, sculpting all-new statues of Marvel’s greatest heroes and heroines in a 12” scale, marking DST’s grand return to comic-based Marvel statues. (Moore himself kicked off the Marvel Premier line in 2002, with his sculptures of the Black Cat, the White Queen and Spider-Man.) A third Premier Collection line, based on Batman: The Animated Series, will follow.

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